February 7, 2013 (Chapel Hill, NC) The Medical Science Liaison Society (MSL Society) is planning its first global conference and gala for April 2013.

The event will take place at Philadelphia’s Hyatt at the Broadview on South Broad Street, from April 1-3. The 2013 MSL Society Conference and Gala is the first event of its kind, a tangible extension of the non-profit organization’s mission to bring together global medical affairs professionals for education and networking in an effort to support the profession.

Attendees will include Medical Affairs and MSL Leadership, as well as other professionals focusing on key topic including KOL access, HEOR, clinical trials, clinical investigation, key opinion leader relationship management, and medical communications. The emerging roster of speakers includes luminaries from the world of medical affairs, including Dr. Stewart Rosen, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Quintiles, Dr. Robert Ang, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Cadence Pharmaceuticals, and Dr. Elizabeth Kupferer, Director of Medical Affairs at Sequenom.

Highlights of the three-day event include a welcome reception on day one, followed by a full day of education and networking, the gala dinner to culminate day two, and a final round of education and networking on day three.

“We’ve planned our first live conference with the needs of Medical Affairs and MSL professionals around the world firmly in mind,” stated Dr. Samuel Dyer, Chairman of the Board of the MSL Society. “Over the last 10 years, I have had numerous conversations with MSL leaders around the world about the need for a professional society dedicated to the global MSL role and the opportunity to network. There is clearly excitement around the MSL Society as we have had 60% growth in the last 3 months. From having a truly world-class venue to expert speakers and multiple opportunities for attendees at all levels to network and learn from others, there is a lot of excitement about the MSL Society and the Conference and Gala is going to be a unique opportunity and fun event.”

Early Registration Discounts are available until February 15, 2013.

Thought Leader Select is a proud member of the MSL Society. Allison Murphy, the company’s Boston-based global sales consultant for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical devices industries, currently sits on the Society’s Global Advisory Committee.

“As a former MSL and having spent a decade at Eli Lilly, I recognize the value of the MSL Society and these types of events,” stated Murphy. “Through my first-hand experience working with the Society, I see a real purpose—a unified effort from a team of global MSL professionals intent on lifting the profession and honoring it. Medical Science Liaisons are the real drivers of great collaborations with thought leaders in medicine, and as the profession has emerged in recent decades, the MSL community has a real need for resources and networking to facilitate continuous improvement and professional development.”

Kristen Smithwick, Vice President of Business Development, Marketing, and Strategic Planning at Thought Leader Select, sees the MSL Society and the upcoming conference and gala as a real game-changer for Medical Affairs and MSL professionals. “As a company dedicated to the real results behind matching the right key opinion leaders with the right companies developing new treatments for patients, we see the MSL Society’s development as pivotal to industry matching the scientific acumen with the medical professionals that form their key collaborative relationships. The MSL Society fills a real need and does it as a non-profit, so that its funding goes strictly to advancing the MSL profession. Only good things can come out of gatherings like the MSL Society’s upcoming conference and gala, as the global MSL community pulls together to live the group’s mission for better collaborations resulting in better patient and public health outcomes. We’re very proud of our membership in the MSL Society, and we’re proud to be participating in their inaugural conference.”

For more information on the Medical Science Liaison Society, visit their website at www.themsls.org. For more information on the MSL Society Conference and Gala, taking place at Philadelphia’s Hyatt at the Broadview on April 1-3, check out the conference site at http://www.themsls.org/Philadelphia-2013.

The society serves as a voice for the profession by building further awareness of the important contributions that MSLs make in advancing science, which ultimately improves the quality of life for patients.

About Thought Leader Select

Thought Leader Select is a Chapel Hill, NC-based private consulting firm serving the biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries with strategies, in-house research, and a suite of engagement tools and support for collaborating with and reaching out to key opinion leaders and centers of excellence in medicine.

Thought Leader Select has supported companies as they develop effective treatments to promote better patient and public health across more than 18 therapeutic areas and 50 diseases and conditions.